‘Scarlet Heart: Ryeo’ viewership tops Monday-Tuesday series

Viewership ratings of SBS’ TV series “Scarlet Heart: Ryeo” have soared to 9.8 percent in Korea, putting it slightly ahead of its competitors.

According to data from pollster Nielsen Korea on Tuesday, “Scarlet Heart: Ryeo” saw 9.8 percent in viewership, while KBS 2TV’s new series “Sweet Stranger and Me” had 9 percent and MBC’s “Woman with a Suitcase” took 8.3 percent.

This was the first time “Scarlet Heart: Ryeo” has taken the lead in viewership among series aired on Mondays and Tuesdays. It had previously shared the same time slot as KBS 2TV’s series “Moonlight Drawn by Clouds,” which aired its final episode on Oct. 18.

In the 17th episode of “Scarlet Heart: Ryeo” that aired Monday, Prince Wang So (Lee Joon-gi) claimed the throne after the ineffectual and brutal King Gwangjong (Hong Jong-hyun) stepped down.